Over the past couple of years I’ve noticed this negative stigma that surrounds feminism. It’s as if once the word is said, people immediately sigh, groan, or say, “I hate feminists.” Growing up, I always knew that I wanted equality and equal opportunities among men and women, but to label myself as a feminist seemed like social suicide. It wasn’t until I met Dr. Claire Van Ens that I realized being a loud, proud feminist is okay and it’s exactly what the world needs. She is the reason I now proudly identify as a feminist, stand up for women in situations I normally wouldn’t, and have registered to vote just in time for this year’s election.
Dr. Claire Van Ens is an educator at Kutztown University in the Communication Studies department, as well as the Chair of the department. She received her BA at the University of California, her MA in Communication Studies and rhetoric and her Ph.D in interdisciplinary: Communication Studies (performance studies), Anthropology (folklore), and Radio-Film TV at the University of Texas. While interviewing her, I brought up the fact that she is an activist and is not afraid to show it. I was interested in knowing if Van Ens ever faced any doubts or ever felt scared. “Sometimes others would like me to speak my truth to those in power more forcefully. However, that is not how I do life. I tend to see both sides of an argument (except where support for Trump comes in!) and then attempt to move between issues/sides. I’m more of a gentle persuader. I am not fierce.” Her response did not surprise me because while she is an inspiration to her students, she always maintains a calm composure no matter how heated the class discussion gets.
During our interview, I acknowledged the fact that I struggled with openly identifying as a feminist growing up, so I asked her if she struggled openly characterizing as one. It turns out that when she was my age (21) she had no idea what a feminist was. Van Ens specifically said, “When I was going through my divorce in my early 30’s I took a class at the University of Delaware from a feminist therapist that changed my life. I had not even considered the topics we discussed in class and how opportunities and expectations differ between men and women. So I’d have to say when I was 33 I proudly became an ‘out feminist’ and I’ve never looked back!” It’s amazing to see how long feminism has been neglected. As a third-wave feminist I have realized that women are taking the rights we have today for granted and do not even acknowledge the battle women endured in the past to get us these rights. I think Van Ens’ explanation of how she realized she was a feminist exemplifies that as well.Knowing that there are women and men who say “they hate feminists” is completely disheartening and something I felt was extremely important to discuss with Van Ens. When I asked her how she felt about how this is occurring she said, “It really makes me sad – no matter if it’s women or men saying it, because when I give the definition of feminism and ask if they would want that for their future daughter, to a person they say ‘yes’ and yet they say they are not feminists and that they hate feminists. It really shows the power of language I think.”
Dr. Van Ens has made me realize that as a future educator it’s my duty to educate my students on the true meaning of feminism. In case you didn’t know what the definition of feminism is it’s, “The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” In simpler terms, for those of you who are still confused, feminism means men and women are equal in their rights and opportunities in the world. That’s it. Being a feminist does not mean that I am an angry lesbian who hates men; this stereotype needs to disappear because this is not the case whatsoever.